New Traffic Code: Motorcycle lane-splitting legalized amongst congested cars

If there’s one accessory common to all modern cars, it’s cup holders. “And now, what will happen to the cup holders that will remain empty of coffee?” Greek drivers wonder in light of the new Road Code provision, which imposes a €100 fine and a 30-day driving license suspension for those who drive while drinking coffee. However, this is the least of the concerns for “reckless” drivers.

The new Road Code, which will enter public consultation this month, introduces numerous changes aimed at dramatically reducing, if not eliminating, traffic accidents. The speed limit in urban areas is reduced to 30 km/h, paving the way for micro-mobility vehicles (electric scooters, bicycles, etc.), and introduces stringent penalties for exceeding speed limits, not wearing helmets (including for micro-mobility vehicles), running red lights, driving under the influence of alcohol, and illegal overtaking. It also redefines road traffic management in a way that differs from what we previously knew. For the first time, lane-splitting—maneuvering between stationary cars—is permitted for two-wheelers, and they are given priority at traffic lights.

Priority for Two-Wheelers

The new Road Code places significant emphasis on two-wheelers, which have a lower environmental footprint and help alleviate traffic congestion, but also because they are frequently involved in accidents. New traffic light priorities are established, allowing two-wheelers to move ahead of cars at traffic lights to wait for the green signal (for safety and traffic flow reasons), and filtering is permitted under certain conditions.

Two-wheelers will now be legally allowed to maneuver between stopped vehicles as long as they adhere to speed limits. This is based on the idea that a motorcycle traveling at 25 km/h among stationary cars can avoid an accident, which could escalate into a severe injury incident if traveling at 50, 60, or 80 km/h. The new Code also changes motorcycle parking rules, allowing them to park only perpendicular to the roadway (in contrast to the current practice of parallel parking to the sidewalk) to free up parking spaces for cars.

Penalties for not wearing helmets will be stricter, with potential driving license suspension of up to 5 years for repeat offenders. Consideration is also being given to introducing fines for this offense.

These changes apply to all two-wheelers. Given that the adjustment of speed limits in urban areas essentially places electric scooters and bicycles on the roadway, and that penalties are individualized (i.e., drivers, not vehicles, are penalized), it is clear that this marks an initial step towards requiring micro-mobility vehicle operators to wear helmets, obey traffic signals, and adhere to speed limits.

Two-wheelers will now legally be able to manoeuvre between cars when they are stopped, provided they do not breach the speed limit. The reason is that if a motorcycle is moving at 25 mph between cars stopped in traffic, it can avoid a traffic accident, which can turn into a serious injury incident if the speed is 50, 60, or 80 mph. The new code also changes the way motorcycles are parked, as they will now only be allowed to park perpendicular to the roadway (as opposed to today, when they are allowed to park parallel to the curb), saving parking spaces for cars.

What is also changing are the penalties for not using a helmet, which are being tightened up as there is a risk of up to 5 years’ driving licence revocation in the event of a repeat offence, while a fine for this offence is under consideration.

The above will apply to all two-wheelers. Given that the adjustment of speed limits in the urban area essentially puts electric scooters and bicycles on the road, and that the penalties are personalized (i.e. the driver will be punished, not the vehicle), it is clear that a first step is being taken to ensure that the owners of mini-mobility vehicles also wear helmets, do not violate traffic lights and, of course, do not exceed speed limits.

New speed limits

If lowering urban speed limits from 50 to 30 mph. (and 20 mph outside schools) is a measure that will be seen down the road whether it can be implemented or will cause congestion, there are a number of changes coming and will be implemented from day one. Now, offences will be split into three categories, depending on their dangerousness, and the penalties will be severe in the event of a repeat offence, leading to the removal of a driving licence for five years if the same dangerous offences are repeated, or 25 points on the points system, prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to €10,000.

In addition, for the first time the application of the penalty to the car is decoupled. This means that the removal of the licence and registration plates (especially if it is the only car in the family) ceases and the penalty is applied to the driver. In cases where the offender will not be clear (e.g. in a camera ticket), the penalty will be applied to the owner of the vehicle.

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The categories of violations will be: ■ E1: Offences, low risk, for which there will be a fine of €30 and a driving licence suspension of up to 10 days. Such offences may be formal, such as lack of documents that the driver is required to carry, or illegal parking.

■ E2: Medium risk offences, for which the fine will be €150, and the driving licence will be withdrawn for 20 days. ■ E3: For high risk offences and anti-social driving, the penalties will be severe. According to Article 290A(1) of the Criminal Code as amended by Law 5090/2024, red light violation, dangerous driving, speeding, driving in the LEA and driving under the influence of alcohol will be punishable, with the penalties being particularly severe, being of a felony nature. These are offences such as drink-driving, STOP and red light violations, “offences connected with the display of skill, impressiveness, competition or the holding of impromptu races, as well as offences against the provisions defining the manner of overtaking vehicles.”

In these, if the driver reoffends, the penalties will be multiplied, and if he reoffends for the third time in five years, then his driving licence will be revoked for five years and the offender will be required to undergo training and an examination for its reinstatement.

Added to the anti-traffic offences for which the very severe penalties will be provided are driving in the LEA, and parking in a disabled space or on a disabled ramp. For these offences there is a provision in the Penal Code for felony penalties. Thus, it provides for imprisonment of up to 3 years if a danger to other people’s property arises, imprisonment of at least 1 year if a danger to a person arises, imprisonment of up to 10 years for grievous bodily harm or substantial damage to public utilities, imprisonment of at least 10 years for the death of a person. If the death of a large number of people was caused, the court may impose life imprisonment.

End of call erasure

The phrase “I have an acquaintance who can erase my ticket” should be forgotten now. With the help of technology, as the consolidation of the CCC penalty records held by the relevant Ministries of Transport and Public Protection is being promoted, tickets will be entered directly into a new online platform.

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The offender will be notified of it immediately, even if he is not present, as he will receive it immediately on his mobile phone by SMS, without anyone having time to intervene to erase it. This will also be practically impossible, as the traffic police officers will be equipped with special devices (tablets or mobile phones), from which they will post in real time in the online system the offences and the corresponding penalty points that accompany them in the point system.

In this way, the violation will be locked at the time it is witnessed by the traffic officers. Offenders will have 7-10 days to file their objections and if these are deemed valid, the violations and fines will be cancelled. Otherwise, the fine will be posted directly to the TAXISnet account of the offending driver and if the driver fails to pay it on time, it will be a confirmed debt to the state.

A new provision in the CCC is that an offending driver who has his licence revoked will not be able to get it back if he does not pay – or settle – the debt.

Fuel and edibles

With half of Greeks being… addicted to coffee, the finding that it is illegal for someone to drink the beverage and drive at the same time caused a sensation. The truth, however, is that the provision pre-existed and applies to all drinkable and edible drinks. As explained by traffic officials, the MCC stipulates that the driver’s hands and feet should be free to drive. This is also the reason why it is not allowed to drive and at the same time eat, drink or smoke, and – as far as the feet are concerned – to drive with flip-flops (there is a risk of them getting mixed up with the pedals). This, moreover, is also the reason why it is allowed (with moderation) to talk on the mobile phone with a bluetooth device, but not with wired headphones that can get mixed up in the hands. Nevertheless, the MCC provides that a driver is required, especially when travelling, to have water and dry food in his car in case of a blockage.

If this seems strange to you, then you will find it even stranger that the CCC provides for details from … the future, but also from our past. On the one hand, its provision forbids driving a car without… a driver, providing for a fine of 50 euros to the owner and the removal of the licence. And if this concerns the owners of vehicles equipped with autonomous driving systems, there is also a provision that dictates the use of special lights (lights) on herds of animals moving on the roadway at night.

There are, in addition, some provisions which are the definition of ambiguity. For example, it states that driving is not permitted if the driver is in a “poor mental state or tired” or when he or she lacks “knowledge or skill”. These, of course, are up to traffic crews to determine, but the question is how they will be able to prove that someone is in a poor mental state.

Penalties for pedestrians

Provisions in the CCC also exist for behaviour on the roads, car passengers and pedestrians. The provision that provides for an administrative penalty for… munching by a driver on another driver or pedestrian is known, but what is not known is that there is a fine for car passengers who open the doors without care and risk causing an accident. Or that there is a penalty for pedestrians who cross too slowly at crosswalks, delaying traffic, or standing in them (or on the roadway) obstructing vehicular traffic.

Vassilis Economou State Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport “Emphasis on anti-social behaviour”